Dark Minds
by Neyuwa
Summary: Growing up as the child of a Hogwarts teacher, everybody has high expectations on Evina. When she finally starts so go to the school, she learns a lot about herself, she never knew was possible...
1. Prologue

'Yes, yes! Go on! Chase it, catch it!' The high grown woman shouted after a little girl, not even 6 years old. The child ran and jumped after a red leaf, which flew away with the wind. It seemed as if it fled from her, when suddenly she caught it with her left hand. The little girl ran back towards the older woman, proudly showing her the dark red leaf she held with her tiny hands, laughing full hearted and happy about her newest archievement. The older one clapped her hands and smiled at the child happily. 'You did it! I am so proud on you my little girl!' Carefully she pulled the child closer to not destroy the beautiful leaf in her hands and hugged her tightly. Some tears rolled down her cheeks but she suppressed the the urge to sob, not wanting to worry the little girl. 'I wish you wasn't _her _child but mine…' She whispered too quiet for the little girl in her arms to understand.

'Mama, what is it?' The red haired asked, not able to free herself from the tight hug. 'Are you crying?' She now started to sound worried and pushed the woman away a little with her full strength, not even caring that she destroyed her leaf with it. But the woman, too strong and heavy, pulled the child back into the hug. She kept hold of the little body and pushed it against hers.

'It is nothing sweety.' She whispered into the childs ear. 'Your mama is just so proud to have you, you know? Such a beautiful and strong girl.' She now whiped off her tears and tried to not look that sad anymore when she stopped hugging the child. She grabbed the shoulders of the girl and looked her into the dark but tear-filled eyes. 'Please don't cry honey.' She whispered again as she stroke some of the long, curly hair behind the child's ears. 'Promise me something Evina. Promise that you will not do anything dangerous. Never ever, yes?' She calmly asked the little girl and held her pinky out towards her. The small one nodded and took the pinky with her own, not even sure what her mother meant with it.

'Pinky promise…' she whispered.


	2. Chapter 1

I spread my arms and reached out for the cold air around me. With closed eyes I took several deep breaths, as the fresh air made my long hair fly up behind me. The little highland pony I was standing on ran faster and faster and I suddenly felt the urge to scream out all of my happiness. So I did. Nobody was near enough to hear me anyways. But so nobody was there as well when my horse suddenly stopped and I fell down to the ground. I closed my eyes quickly. My body hurt but I felt that it wasn't over yet. I still moved since I rolled down a hill. I tried to think clear, what turned out to be pretty hard in this situation. What should I do? Wait until I arrived at the foot of the hill or somehow try to stop myself? I had to open my eyes again but I only saw the ground and the sky and not one single thing that could be helpfull. Just in the moment I thought the hill would never end, I heard a loud splash and felt my clothes soaking the water. I landed in a pond.

When I tried to stand up I felt dizzy, what was pretty normal after such a long fall. I climbed out of the pond, stroke the wet hair out of my face and looked at the hill. On the top I saw my horse was standing still and looking down, waiting fo me to come back up again. I sighed. 'How could this happen? My eyes were closed for at most one minute.' I said to myself and started to slowly climb up the hill. When I was halfway there, the nature thought that it sure would be funny to let me fall down for another time, but this time I was able to stop me I climed up the rest of the hill and grabbed the reins of my horse just as I arrived on the top. I sure was exhausted but started to walk back immediately. My clothes were completely wet, dirty and ripped at some parts. Also I had some bleeding scars on my skin. My mother surely would overreact about it again, but at least I could say that I didn't break a leg or had any bigger injuries. Yes, everything hurt a little but I couldn't help it yet. Maybe when I was home mother could heal it, but first she would scream at me for doing something oh so dangerous. I had to decide. Should I ask her for help and let her heal me, or keep it for myself and hide it from her?

The way home seemed so long by foot and as I arrived I asked myself why I didn't ride. Was I an idiot to walk when I was hurt and had a horse with me? Sighing I walked my horse into her stable. I gave her some new straw and left the stable. Carefully I closed the door and gave her a little kiss before I walked away to my house. I had to take some deep breaths before I found the courage to go in.

'I am home.' I whispered and hoped nobody would recognise me, but the luck wasn't on my side today. Just in the moment I started to walk up the stairs to my room, I heard steps on the wodden floor and a gasp right behind me as they stopped. I turned and looked into the face of a rather old woman with greyish, black hair. She looked at me a little shocked with one hand covering her mouth. I just stood still on the stairs and looked back straight into her eyes.

'What… What happened to you, Evina?' She came up the few stairs to me, grabbed my hand suddenly and pulled me near, so I nearly fell down the stairs. That's how the decission to get healed or hide it wasn't mine anymore. She already pulled out her wand and pointed onto my wounds with it while murmuring some words I couldn't understand. I sighed.

'It's nothing to worry about. I just fell down a hill because of Grace. I was standing on her back and had my eyes closed when she suddenly stopped running, so I fell. I didn't break a bone or something…' I laughed a little unconfident to clear the hair-trigger situation, but as an answer I just recieved a sharp glare from her. I stopped laughing and gulped. She would start to scream at me now… Usually, but today it was different. It was a special day and I actually kind of forgot about it until she reminded me.

'It doesn't matter now sweety… I will just heal it quickly and then we go and pack your remaining things. I know you long enough to be sure that you won't do it alone when I am away tomorrow. And if you do, you will forget at least half of the important things at home.' She was so right. I might be very responsible when it comes to my duties or even to studying and other things, but I also am pretty forgetful and without any help I would forget more than half of the things I had to take to Hogwarts with me. Maybe even my uniform or my wand. I should be glad that she wanted to help me and I really wanted to thank her when she destroyed the moment again with saying something really annoying. 'I think I will ask Ms Witkas to take care of you tomorrow and Sunday morning until you have to go… You wouldn't have to be alone then and somebody would be here to have an eye on you…'

I immediately pulled back the arm she was healing and quickly ran up the remaining stairs to my room while shouting at her. 'I don't need a babysitter, Mum! It is just this one day! I know how to cook a meal and I can wake up on my own as well! I am not five years old anymore, you know?! I also know how I to use the phone box in the city to get to London and I know how to get to the platform 9 3/4! So where do you see the problem with leaving me alone for 24 hours?!' I ran into my room and slammed the door shut behind me. I didn't have a key for the door since that one day I nearly set the house on fire when I was eight, so I just sat down in front of it and leaned my back against it. I could feel the blood pulsate in my cheeks. I knew that they were deep red without looking into a mirror. I didn't want a babysitter at all. There was nothing I couldn't do alone here at home and it was not like I would be alone for a week. Mum knocked and tried to open the door, but I did my best to avert this with pushing my body against it even more.

'Evina, let me in! We need to talk about this! I just want your best!' She shouted at me through the wodden door. I could her the sadness in her voice.

'My best?!' I screamed back at her sharp. 'You just want to keep me away from everything, that's all! Ohh, I could burn myself while cooking or I could get lost at the platform! I am not a baby anymore so don't treat me like one! I just fell down a freakin' hill and guess what! I still am alive and feeling good, so don't be so overprotective all the time! This has nothing to do with wanting my best anymore!' I stood up from the floor and pulled the door open rapidly. As I stared at her angry, I could feel my eyes tearing up but was able to hold it back. Crying now would destroy the moment. My moment…

'I have my reasons for being concerned about you and you know that! Evina, I beg you to not be like that! I just want you to understa-'

I let out a sharp little laughter to make her stop talking finally. 'Understand?! You should be the one to understand me! You promised me to let me stay alone this one day quite some time ago and now you want to break the promise and hire a babysitter. Just because I fell, or what? And honestly, don't tell me to stop being like that, because this is me! Now leave me alone Minerva!' I usually didn't call her by her name. It made us both feel uncomfortable, but in situations like that it was very helpful. She slowly turned around and walked downstairs without any word. Why it helped to call her by her name? Because I wasn't her real child. I don't know where I am from but I grew up with her since I was a baby. That's why she is like a real mother for me. I know it hurts her so much when I call her by her first name, but sometimes I just can't resist. Especially when we are fighting.

I closed the door again and opened the window instead. I leaned out of it and took a deep breath. I couldn't avoid her the whole day and the things needed to be settled as well, so how should I excuse? And did I need to excuse? I mean, in my opinion I didn't do anything wrong except yelling at her, but what did she think? She was sad, that was sure… Suddenly I started to feel guilty…


	3. Chapter 2

'I am sorry mum…' I whispered and placed a plate with a cupcake and some blueberries in front of her on the desk. Not able to look her in the face, I looked down to the floor and stoke some of my red hair behind my ear. The sun outside already was going down and she didn't come to my room again, that's why I decided to take the first step. I think it was the right decission. She took both my hands with hers. I could feel her looking at me sad, then I heard her sigh.

'There really is no need for you to excuse sweety. You are the one who is right and I won't call a babysitter if you don't want one. I should trust you more, it's just…'

'Just what?' I asked as she stopped before she finished. 'Do you think I am too young?' I now raised my head a little and looked at her asking.

'No…' She whispered. 'It is nothing. I am just concerned about you.' She smiled at me a little reliefed that I didn't react in a bad way again. I nodded understanding. I did understand her, but still was annoyed a little. 'I will help you pack now. Sorry that I let you wait for so long. Now we need to hurry a little since I have to get up pretty early tomorrow.' She stood up from her seat and started to walk to my room without even touching the cupcake. I didn't say anything about it and followed her like a puppy. Upstairs I just watched her searching all the things I needed for m first year in Hogwarts. I didn't even have to help. She told me to sit down and not touch anything because if I did, she would get confused what she already had. I could see that she hurried and even that she was tired but luckily it didn't take long anymore until she was finished and closed my suitcase. 'Alright sweety, I guess we are done here. You only need to remember to put your bathroom things in after you used them, okay?' She asked with a big smile on her lips. I nodded but I needed to find a way to remind myself of it, otherwise I would really forget it anyways. I would just place some hints in the whole house or I would stand in Hogwarts without a toothbrush. Mum suddenly hugged me tight. 'Shall I wake you up before I leave?' She asked me, now a little more silent then before. Was she missing me already?

'Yea.' I answered. 'You always did when I was little, so why not this time again? The only difference is that now we will see each other again a little sooner.' I patted Mums back a few times before she finaly let go of me and looked deep into my black eyes. She knelt down and let her fingers run through my red and curly hair.

'Do you remember the promise you made back then? To not do anything dangerous?' She asked a little sad again.

'I do, but now there is a difference between your meaning of dangerous and mine.' I answered quietly while looking back into her eyes straight. I would not be the one who looks away first.

Mum sighed and nodded while still holding the eye contact. 'This is the problem with those promises. But I beg you, please don't do dumb things at school and hold on to the rules. I don't want you to get in danger or something. I know there will be many things to explore, but do not go to the forbidden paths or the forest.' She let her fingers run through my hair several more ime before she stopped and took my hands. 'Promise it.'

I hesitated. Even if I would promise it now, I knew that I wasn't able to keep it. I am way too curious to leave forbidden or hidden things alone, even if I knew the reason for it. But mother would not leave me alone before I promised it, so what should I do? Calm her down with promising it and then hurt her when she finds out I do something forbidden, or hurt her now with telling I can't promise such things? Both were bad. I sighed and then nodded at her. 'I promise it.' She wasn't able to see that it was a lie…

The next morning I woke up from the door. Mother came in and gave me a little kiss on my forehead to wake me up. 'You can keep sleeping if you want to. I am just here to tell you that I will be away now.'

I shook my head slowly and sat up in my bed. 'No, I'll stand up… See you in school tomorrow then I guess.' Sleepy I rubbed my eyes so I could finally see something. 'Will be weird to call you Professor anyways…' I yawned deeply and stroke back all the hair that hung in my face.

'Yea I believe that sweety. For me it will be hard to call you by your surname as well. I need to go now. Behave well and don't go to bed too late or you will oversleep. You know everything and if there is a Problem you always can call or go over to Ms Witkas, okay? See you then.' She hugged me tight. Sadly I wasn't awake enought to do so as well, so I patted her back a few times. When she let go and left the room I suddenly realized that I was alone at home for the first time in my life.

I stood up and tought about my mums words. I realized that she really would call me by my surname. Nobody did that. Probably it wasn't even my real surname. For everybody I knew or who lived in the city, I was just Evina or the little McGonagall girl, but I did not even have her surname. I still remember that day when I asked Mum, why her surname was McGonagall while mine was Payne. That was the first time ever she told me that we are not related by blood. Years later, when I asked her if my real families name was Payne, she answered with a no and that if I would use my real name, people would be after me. She never told me why or what my real name was.

Under shower I streched out my body for the first time. The cold water dropped onto me and I enjoyed it so much. What should I do that whole day? I was free for the first time and didn't have to fear that my mum would find out what I was doing, except if I would break a bone or something. It needed to be something I wanted to do for a long time already, but then again something not too dangerous. I didn't want to get hurt. I even could just relax one day without any duties or go horseriding at some place I wasn't allowed to go to. There was so much to do in this little world, even without the magic I would learn in a few days. I stepped out of the shower and turned off the water. The towels already were waitnig for me. I wrapped myself in the softest one and went to the kitchen.

I was pretty excited for Hogwarts and mostly about what house I would get sorted into, but I never showed or told this to Mum. I never talked much about those things with her anyways, but I knew she wanted me to be a Gryffindor. She always said it would fit me the best. Yes, actually I would say that I am brave, but what if I would not become a Gryffindor? If I was not brave enough? Would she be sad about it? Or rather, would I be sad about it? I wanted to become a Gryffindor as well.

I opened the fridge. There wasn't much in there and mum already told me to throw away the things I didn't need anymore or it would become rotten in the time nobdy was here. Sure there was somebody coming every day to feed Grace and get the newspaper and everything inside, but she wouldn't look into the fridge. I grabbed some bacon and eggs, got out a pan and started to make myself a delicious breakfast. Actually I would consider it as a miracle that I didn't burn myself since I was so deep in thought about Hogwarts. I couldn't believe that I now would learn all the things my mum already knew. I took the plate with the food and sat down on the couch to eat. Mum would yell at me for this because 'We eat at the eating table' but today was _my_ day to decide this. I switched the radio on and listened to the muggle news, which I found very interesting and entertaining in the mornings. I knew pretty much about them, their weapons and all the other stuff they lived with from books or the radio shows my mum forbid me to listen to. I had no clue why…

The day passed more quickly then I thought and in the evening I realized that I didn't do really much. I listened to the radio most of the time, except for the little ride on my horse and the talk with the house-sitter. Now the sun already was getting down again and I was not tired at all. It might be the exitement or just the fact that I wasn't k.o enough. I did not know, but I knew that I would stay awake as long as I could.

With some of the stuff we had left in the fridge and cupboards I made some pancakes and put chocolate cream on each of them. For me, the tastiest meal in the universe!


	4. Chapter 3

I was too late! Quickly I jumped up from the couch I slept on and ran to the shower. Since I didn't have enough time to adjust the temperature I just left the hot water on. As it hit my skin, I let out a short but sharp scream. It was hard to breath under there. I quickly grabbed my shampoo when I realized, I would never get my long hair dry within 5 minutes! I let the shampoo fall sown and decided to rather wash my body clean, my hair was still okay after all. I pushed the button for the water in again to stop it and jumped out of the shower within a second. Without any clothes and completely wet I ran to my room where I stored my towels. My locker seemed pretty empty when I opened it since most of my stuff was in my suitcase already. One towel was left. I hurried to get myself dry and as I was, I immediately put on my Hogwarts uniform, that I was supposed to wear in school from today on. I also could have put it on in the train, but why should I?

Now I got to the biggest problem. My hair. I had ten minutes left before I needed to leave the house and I never got them dry in less then 15 minutes. That ment I needed to set a new record, but I still had other stuff to do as well. Quickly I started to blow-dry my hair while brushing my teeth and walking up and down a little. Oh how much I wished to be able to use magic to get ready at this time already.

I did it. My hair was still a little wet when I left, but at least it wasn't dripping anymore. The phone box I had to use was not that far away and I was lucky that mum already took my owl with her when she left. Because of that I only hat to carry one big suitcase. Why? Because everything fit in there since it was shrinked. I had now clue how I should get it bigger again when I was there, but that wasn't the time to think about it. I still had to hurry. Quickly I dialed the right number in to make the floor move down a little. It didn't go too deep, just some meters before it stopped again. It was dark and cold but in front of me I could see the golden glimmer I was searching for. A ticking golden clock showed the time. 10:45 am it showed to me. I gasped. How should I be punctual? I stil had to run over the platform to arrive at 9 3/4! Sighing I grabbed my suitcase a little harder and touched the clock. It felt like I got sucked into a tornado and then suddenly fell down onto the ground again.

I looked around. No people far and near but I knew that I was in the right place. In a deadlock near Kings Cross. Quick I jumpled up to my feet again and coughed. 'I wish I didn't oversleep… I don't want to run…' I took a few deep breath. Now there only were less then 10 minutes left to run into the station, all the way to platform 9 3/4. The biggest problem was to not bump into anyone on my way there.

I did not run through the wall, I rather jumped and on my flight I had to hope that it wasn't too late. I would bump into the wall with my head first if it was… I think I never was so happy before when I found myself laying on the ground. I did it in time, just a little out of breath. Now I only had to fight me my way trhrough all the people who blocked the way, hugged their children and said godbye. Without any word I gave my suitcase to one of the people who helped loading them in and went into the train. It kinda hurt me to see all the kids getting hugged by their parents while I am all alone here. Actually I tried to ignore the fact that I would always come alone here and that I probably won't ever get to know my real family. I rather concentrated to find a compartment to sit in, what turned out to be harder than I thought. Everything was packed with people and actually I didn't really want to sit with the kids from higher classes, who already were sorted into a house.

I suddenly heard a whistle and felt the floor moving under my feet. Quickly I decided to not search any farther and just ask if I could sit in the next compartment, together with the people in there. I pulled the door open and suddenly two boys with ginger hair and blue eyes looked at me like I caught them while doing something forbidden. They looked exactly the same and even their freckles seemed to be the same amount. At first I thought I had some weird hallucinations and that there was only one boy, but then I remembered my Mum saying something about some red haired twins in the school. That had to be them.

'Uhh…' I started a little shy. 'Can I sit here?' I didn't know which of the two to focus so my black eyes switched from the left to the right and back again. Both of the boys started to grin at me.

'Sure!' Started the one on the left side.

'Every ginger is welcome here!' Continued the one on the right side. With a slight smile on my lips I stepped in and closed the door after me again before I sat down next to the right twin.

'And how shall we adress the little lady here?' Asked the first one again, this time focusing me even more.

'I am Evina.' I answered as I looked back at him, not showing any weakness to him. 'And I bet you two are the famous Weasley twins, am I right?'

'Ohw!' The twin next to me suddenly clapped his hands. 'It seems like we already made us a name outside Hogwarts, if even the new first years know us! I'm Fred, that's George, but we don't expect you to remember who is who. Not even our mother can tell that sometimes.'

'I get it. The Hogwarts teachers seem so be pretty lucky since they just have to adress you by your last name when you brake a rule or something.' The smile on my face widen with every word I exchanged with the twins.

'Haha!' Laughed George now. 'Whenever we do something forbidden it is the two of us anyways. Never only one. But tell us honey, who told you about us? You have siblings at Hogwarts or something?'

'Hell no!' I nearly screamed it out. 'I am an only child and pretty happy with that. No, no, my adoptive mother told me a little bit about you this holiday and somehow I remembered it when I saw you two.

'And might we also ask who your adoptive mother is, Evina?' Asked Fred now with a confused look on his face.

I sighed but then smiled again. 'Sure, why not. You might know my mom as the great house teacher of the house Gryffindor!' I jumped up from my seat and tried out a proud hero pose, but as lucky as I was, the train wobbled so much i tumbled and fell…


End file.
